


Memoria

by Akiko_Natsuko



Series: Reaper76 [2]
Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Abduction, Broken Promises, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Guilt, Heavy Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Imprisonment, Kidnapping, M/M, Memory Alteration, Memory Loss, Promises, Rescue, Rescue Missions, Serious Injuries
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-17
Updated: 2018-11-17
Packaged: 2019-08-20 06:46:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,475
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16550921
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Akiko_Natsuko/pseuds/Akiko_Natsuko
Summary: It's been three years since Jack Morrison disappeared, leaving nothing but a two word message and an empty position behind. Overwatch has moved on in that time, as have many of his friends, but Gabriel has refused to give up...refused to accept that Jack is gone.





	1. Chapter 1

_Jack sighed, fighting the urge to slump against his desk, trying not to look at the ever-growing pile of paperwork that he needed to get through. There was probably half a dozen things that were overdue by now, and he could feel the headache growing. Why had he agreed to this again? He was a soldier, not a bureaucrat, although nowadays he wasn’t sure that he was either. Massaging his temples, he turned in his chair, gazing out over the Swiss Headquarters. It did little to ease his headache, it was a beautiful place, soaring silver buildings surrounded by mountains and built for an era of peace, it was supposed to represent Overwatch at its best, but right now the sight of it grated on his nerves, and with a growl he pushed himself to his feet and headed for the door._

_“Commander?” The cool, mechanical voice echoed through the room, and he froze with a sigh, even in the privacy of his office he was never alone, and for a moment he wished that he had never left home. At least there, out in the cornfields you could find a place where you were completely alone, with no around for miles and miles. “You have a meeting in two hours, and…”_

_“Not now Athena,” he snapped, unable to maintain the cordial tone that he usually tried to cling to, even with the A.I. and an awkward silence fell, and he grimaced, softening his voice as he continued. “I will be back for the meeting until then redirect all communications and if anyone comes looking for me…” He trailed off, there were only a handful of agents that he knew personally on the base right now and none of them would be looking for him. Once upon a time they would have already been by his side, but now…he sighed, head pounding worse than ever before muttering. “Never mind.”_

_“Very well Commander.” Athena almost sounded disapproving, and Jack swallowed back a bitter chuckle at that thought, even the A.I. had expectations of him now. Before he could do anything that he might not regret later, he left the office._

_He let his feet carry him on a mindless path through the base, as he had no idea where he wanted to go, just a growing need to get away. Everywhere he went he was greeted with expectant eyes, admiring glances, whispers, and it grated on his nerves - his headache growing along with the pressure on his shoulders. For a moment, he was tempted to head towards the Blackwatch offices, he knew that Gabriel was in today. In the past, he wouldn’t have hesitated, a spar or even just sitting in the quiet of Gabe’s office would settle his nerves, but things had been strained between them lately. With even the most innocent of conversations carrying undertones that he no longer understood and with a grimace, he headed outside instead. Not caring to admit just how close to running he was as he saw more heads turning in his direction…go away…look away…go away…it was a mantra running on repeat through his head, his headache pounding in time with the words._

_**_

_He had cleared the Headquarters and the grounds before he was even aware of what he had done, waving off the guard’s concerns before stepping out into the clear mountain air. The base was even more eye-catching from here, and he stared back at it for a moment. If he had still been a soldier, or even if he had been lower in the chain of command he knew that he would have been thrilled to be somewhere like this. Instead, he found himself wishing for the older Overwatch bases, the purely military institutions that had been his home ever since he left home, and he snorted. The world was moving forward, Overwatch was moving forward, and yet all he wanted to do was go back to how it had been._

_Staring at the buildings for a moment longer he shook his head, shoulders bowed, and he turned away, discarding his jacket before breaking into a run. In two hours he would be back in that silvery prison, smile back in place, the perfect Strike Commander - because he couldn’t be anything else, not after so much had been lost and sacrificed to reach this point. However, for an hour at least he just wanted to be Jack Morrison. Soldier. Nothing more, and nothing less._

_It was exhilarating and freeing just to run. The terrain was challenging, taking him back to the endless, mind-numbing runs and training missions of the SEP program. Their trainers had forced them to endure every form of terrain and weather, making them run longer and faster if they complained or fell, and he could remember the days when the itch to escape -missing the freedom of home had overwhelmed him. And how he and Gabe would deliberately trip one another, sharing the punishment and the increased time away from the base and he found himself glancing to his right, jolting slightly at the empty space and feeling some of his exhilaration fade. That space had been empty for months now, and yet it still felt wrong, alien, and he closed his eyes…Gabe._

_‘Never forget your surroundings Cariño.’ The warning uttered so often during training and then during the Omnic Crisis echoed through his head the second he heard movement above him. And instincts honed over the year sent him skidding to the left, cursing as he hit a slope but rolling with it, reaching for his weapon even as he rolled only to curse again as he realised that all he had on him was a standard issue pistol. It was better than nothing. Yanking it out he dug his hand into the shale, bringing his impromptu fall to a halt and twisting around, blue eyes narrowing as he took in his opponents. A dozen men, wearing the trademark uniform of Talon and more alarmingly some of the newly modified battle Omnics that they had been encountering in increasing numbers on recent missions. Well damn. Surroundings might not be the problem here, Gabe, he thought to himself, keeping his gun levelled at them even as his eyes darted around for some way to even the odds._

_“Strike Commander Morrison!” Of course, they knew who he was, his face was splashed all over the place these days, and he groaned - although his mind was racing now. There was no way a group this size would have been able to do too much damage to the Headquarters, and his run had been unplanned and unprecedented - so why were they here? “…outnumbered and outgunned, put down your weapon.” He blinked as he realised they were still talking, shifting back as he realised several of them had split off, moving to slide down the slope and circle behind him._

_“Not an option,” he retorted, falling back into a ready stance, gaze flicking to the communicator on his wrist. If nothing else he needed to get a warning to the headquarters, because whatever they had planned could only be bad news for Overwatch, but somehow, he doubted they were going to stand around and let him make the call. H glanced at his gun. Six shots. Right now, he wished he had Reyes youngest agent - McCree, was it? That kid could cause hell with just six shots…Focus Jack, he scolded himself, clearly being in the office had dulled his senses, in the past, he would never have been distracted like this, and he growled under his breath. Focus…Focus…Find a way out, there’s always a way out._

_The ground in front of him exploding a second later nearly made him question that belief, and he cried out as he was flung backwards. And he fought the natural urge to panic at finding nothing but air beneath him and instead grabbing for his communicator, taking advantage of the brief second, he had before he landed and became an easy target again. Frantically he pressed the first contact that flashed up, grimacing as Gabriel’s face flashed up, but beggars couldn’t be choosers, and he hit connect, just before he hit the ground hard. He hasped as the impact forced the air out of his lungs, and he nearly missed the call connecting._

_“Reyes.”_

_“Gabe! I…” He wasn’t given a chance to say anything else, a foot coming down on his wrist and he heard the bone break, his grip on the communicator failing as he curled in on himself. Even with his enhancements it hurt like hell, and it would take time to heal. Still, it didn’t stop him from trying to defend himself, shielding himself as best as he could as he brought the pistol up, breathing through the pain and firing off two shots - two shots, two agents down. He missed his pulse rifle… Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a shot taking out the communicator, and a lead weight settled in his stomach, his lifeline had just been cut. That thought slowing him just enough for a well-placed kick to disarm him, the pistol flying away and over the edge before more blows rained down on him._

_He could taste blood now, and he could feel it trickling from his nose and what felt like a gash on his forehead, but that was nothing in comparison to the pain radiating through his wrist. And his ribs, he realised as he twisted to the side to avoid a blow heading for his head, someone had obviously caught his side at some point. Still, he’d had worse - fought with worse, and he bared his teeth in a snarl that he knew Gabe would have been proud of and lunged to his feet. Biting down on his lip to hold back a pained groan, only to find himself coming to a halt as he stared down the glowing end of a pulse rifle, breathing heavily as he lifted his head to take in the Omnic holding it. He held the blank, emotionless gaze for a long moment before slowly turning on his heel and swallowing thickly. In that moment of distraction, the human agents had fallen back, leaving him trapped in a circle of Omnics, all of whom had their weapons aimed directly at his head and he didn’t need to be a genius to get the message - one wrong move and he would be dead._

_For a moment, he was oddly tempted by that thought - dying in battle was infinitely preferable to capture and torture, or dying tied to a desk job, and it would protect Overwatch. He knew that was why they hadn’t already killed him, he knew too much and if they could get into his head - he swallowed again, rolling his weight from foot to foot, weighing his options…_

****  
  
Three years later:

_“Gabe! I…”_

      Gabriel Reyes, Strike Commander of Overwatch, bowed his head, fingers tightening against the desk as the message played again and again. In the three years that had passed since the day that Jack Morrison had been taken, not one day had passed without him listening to that message at least a dozen times. The frantic shout of his name, the sound of the fight that had followed for nearly thirty seconds longer before the message was cut off with the sound of a shot - all those sounds had become imprinted on his brain. He nearly hadn’t answered the call that day, and that thought haunted him more than he cared to admit, not that it had done either of them any good. The moment he had heard shots being fired he had started tracing the call, mobilising the entire base, because no matter how pissed he had been at the other man, he didn’t want him hurt, but it had been too little, too late. All they had found when they finally reached the origin of the call was the broken communicator, traces of gunfire and blood.

“Play it again,” he ordered, relieved that Athena had long since stopped questioning him on the matter, eyes darkening as Jack’s desperate voice filled the room once more. _Jack…_ Rubbing a weary hand across his face he moved across the office, ignoring the paperwork that was waiting for his attention and the holographic globe showing all active missions. He didn’t care about any of that, not right now, not today. Instead, he only had eyes for the displays that filled the entirety of the far wall. The main screen contained a map, highlighting every rumour and lead that he had ever chased down that might be related to Jack - not that any of them had ever played out. He had nothing. Oh, they had caused a fair amount of damage to Talon and any other terrorist organisations that might have set their sights on Jack back then, claiming new technology that was slowly being turned in Overwatch’s favour and drawing closer to the peaceful world that the organisation was intended to bring about. But it was a hollow victory, because not once had he been able to find anything that would lead him to the former Strike Commander, and while he would never admit aloud, he would have let the world burn just for a hint of where Jack was. “Where are you, Jack?”

    The U.N. and Overwatch had declared Jack Morrison as killed in action barely two months after his disappearance, arguing that Overwatch needed a new leader, and that their resources were better spent in other areas. Gabriel had nearly torn the place apart at that announcement, and in the end, Ana had been forced to sedate him before he could do something completely foolish, locking him down in his quarters until he had calmed down a little. The calmness hadn’t lasted long. The next announcement had been for a memorial service - the whole world had watched as Overwatch went through the pantomime of burying an empty coffin to full military honours. Gabriel had refused to attend, but he hadn’t been able to escape the broadcasts, and hearing their friends speak about the blond as though he was gone had left him with a bitter taste in his mouth. They were accepting that Jack was dead, they were trying to move on, something that he couldn’t do. Something he refused to do, because no matter what problems they’d had, he knew Jack and he wouldn’t die that easily, which meant that he was still out there, waiting to come home and Gabriel was determined not to fail him a second time.

    It had barely been two days after the farce of a memorial when the next blow had been struck. He’d just come back from tracking down a lead with McCree, returning empty handed and more than a little bloodied with a small cell of Talon agents completely dismantled, but no news on Jack. Just to be confronted with the news that Overwatch needed a new leader, and that his name was at the top of the list…

    After nearly two years of wanting the title, of bitterness that the man who had been his second-in-command being promoted over his head - the title was his, and he had never wanted anything less. A refusal had been on the tip of his tongue, but then he had paused. He didn’t want to fill Jack’s shoes, not now, not in this way - but as Strike Commander, he would have access to far more resources than he did now. More ways to find Jack. The blond’s last message had been echoing in the back of his mind when reluctantly he had accepted the position. _Just until I find you, Jack,_ he had promised himself when he stood at the podium a few days later, accepting an honour that felt more like a lead weight around his neck. _Just until I bring you home…_

    A bitter chuckle rose as he stared at the map, waving a hand in the air and closing his eyes as the A.I. obediently restarted the recording. _Until I bring you home. I made it sound so easy…_ There were days when he began to wonder if it was possible if maybe Jack was already dead…gone from this world with no one to notice his passing, a doubt that had been creeping in more and more often, each failure increasing its voice.

_“Gabe! I…”_

      A sharp knock on the door interrupted his thoughts, and for a moment he was tempted to ignore it, but as much as he wanted to wallow in his thoughts, he still had a job to do, and reluctantly he turned away from the map.

“Come in.” The door silently slid open, and he sighed as Ana stepped inside, her sharp gaze darting to the map and then to him and his eyes narrowed. He could already see the lecture forming on the tip of her tongue. Both she and Angela had been the most persistent in their attempts to get him to abandon what they considered was a fruitless search, urging him to face up to the fact that Jack was long gone, and it had caused countless arguments between them, and he already had a retort forming when the recording began to repeat again, and he froze.

“Gabriel…” Ana had also paused at the sound of the recording, pain flickering across her face before she sighed and shifted her attention back to him. “You can’t keep doing this.”

“If that’s all you came to say then you can leave,” Gabriel snarled, turning away from her and staring at the map once more, regretting letting her in and hoping that he would hear her leaving. Instead, she moved closer, steps barely audible. Ever the sniper, even after nearly a year serving as his second-in-command and probably spending more time in the office than he did, coming to a halt alongside him. Silence reigned for a few minutes, heavy with anger and grief, and words left unspoken - Jack’s voice ringing through the room again and again. Eventually, he was the one who broke, shifting from foot to foot for a moment before turning to look at her. “It’s three years ago, today…” _Three years, and yet it feels like forever since I’ve seen his face._

“I know,” Ana’s voice was soft, anguished in a way that he hadn’t heard it since the day that Jack had been taken. “I haven’t forgotten despite what you might believe.”

“Then…” _Why? Why do you act like you have?_

“I can’t live in the past Gabriel,” she cut him off softly, gesturing across the room to the holographic globe, the missions that right now were underway to bring down terrorism, to combat the start of another Omnic crisis, and to bring peace.  “Overwatch moves forwards, Fareeha is growing more and more each day. I can’t stop moving with them, even for Jack.” Her voice wavered for a moment, reminding him that there had been a time when she was just as close to Jack as he was and his expression softened for a moment, even if he didn’t agree with her words.  “He wouldn’t want me to, and he wouldn’t want you to do this either.”

“Maybe not,” Gabriel couldn’t really argue with her on that point. Jack had always been annoyingly self-sacrificial, risking his life for anyone under his command, pushing himself to the limits for a role they had both known he wasn’t really suited for. Hell, that last frantic call had probably been to warn them rather than to ask for help. _Stupid Boy scout…_ “But…” _I can’t forget, I can’t move on not until I know…not until I bring him home one way or another._

    Ana’s expression was soft as she studied him, no doubt picking up on the unspoken words and she hesitated for a moment before reaching out and resting a hand on his shoulder.

“I know.” For the first time in months – years, she sounded like she understood, and it nearly broke him, his eyes stinging as he glanced away from her understanding gaze. “I just wish that you could. I don’t want to lose another friend Gabriel.” He couldn’t look at her, and after a moment she sighed, squeezing his shoulder before taking a step back. “A few of us are gathering in the mess hall later if you want to join us?”

“Maybe.” He was deliberately noncommittal, both knowing that he wouldn’t turn up, he never did. He was glad that others missed Jack, that they remembered him and mourned him, but he couldn’t join them, and she nodded with another sigh before turning to leave. Gabriel let her go without turning around, his gaze fixated on the map once more, tracing every location that they had searched, the stinging in his eyes intensifying as he took a step forward, reaching out and brushing his fingers against the display even as Jack’s voice rang out again.

_Jack, where are you?_


	2. Chapter 2

_Defeat. Surrender had never been an option for him, and so he had attacked, lunging forward and praying that his potential value as a prisoner would make them slightly less willing to press the trigger than they would normally be. He was right - to an extent, his nose wrinkling at the acrid smell of the pulse rifle being fired, pain lancing through his side as the blast nicked his side. He could feel blood beginning to gush from his wound, his lunge coming up short as he dropped like a stone as the strength disappeared from his legs. Dark spots were spreading across his vision at an alarming rate, and all thoughts of fighting vanished as he clutched at his side, desperately trying to stop himself from bleeding out, biting his lip to the point of drawing blood to try and stop himself from crying out._

_Damn it all…_

****

_“Gabe! I…”_

 Gabriel groaned as he stirred, head pounding something fierce and he couldn’t hold back a wince as he moved to sit up and sent a glass toppling off the desk, the sound of it shattering on the ground sending pain lancing through his head. Miserably he clutched at his head, already knowing from experience that it wouldn’t help as he slowly eased himself up, blinking as he realised that he was still in his office, eyes immediately darting to the displays on the far wall, before he closed them as the cursed voicemail message rang out once more. _Damn it…_ He had cracked open a bottle of whisky the night before, his way of joining in with the others - his nod at the day, and a way to numb the pain if only for a few hours. His plan to only have a couple of drinks didn’t stay last and the last memory he could summon was yelling drunkenly at Jack’s voice. Cursing him for going out alone that day, for not seeking him out if he needed help and cursing himself for pushing the blond away to the point where Jack hadn’t felt as though he could reach out to him.

    Already he could feel his body clearing out the hangover and he growled under his breath, of all the side effects of the SEP this was the worst. It was a miracle he had managed to get drunk in the first place, although as he turned his gaze back to his desk, blinking at the sight of three completely empty bottles, maybe it wasn’t. Jack would’ve killed him - the farm boy had never been a big drinker even before their super-soldier status had taken the fun out of it, and a melancholy smile crept across his face as he recalled the numerous lectures he’d had from Jack on the issue. Apart from the day the Omnic Crisis had ended and Jack had actually beaten him to getting drunk/ The morning after had been great fun, both of them irritable until the hangover burned away and then Gabriel taking great pleasure in being the one to lecture the blond, at least until Ana had shown up to give them both an earful.

_Why did I let that change?_

    That was a far too frequent thought these days, and he sighed, knowing that there was no way he was going to be able to escape it until he finally had answers. If he ever had answers, a small voice muttered at the back of his mind, and he squeezed his eyes shut, flinching as Jack’s voice filled the air once more, the desperation in the blond’s voice too much for him to bear right now.

“Athena.” He wanted to cry with relief when the A.I. immediately cut off the message without any need for a command, and for a moment he revelled in the silence that followed, hating himself for feeling like that, not that the silence was enough to stop the words from constantly replaying through his mind. Pinching the bridge of his nose he pushed himself straighter in the chair, taking a deep breath before addressing the A.I again. “Athena…what time is it?”

“Nearly 05.00.”

    He hadn’t even managed to sleep in. A bitter chuckle slipped out, and he opened his eyes, there really was no escape was there? Sighing he rose to his feet and cleared his desk, sweeping the evidence of his drinking into the bin and making a note to empty it before his office was cleaned, as the last thing he needed was more rumours that he was falling apart, before circling around to clean up the glass that had broken and adding that to the bin as well, glancing around to make sure that nothing else was left out. No doubt Ana would be by to check on him at some point this morning, and he didn’t want to hear yet another lecture from her. Satisfied that everything was cleared up he rose to his feet, stretching out sore muscles before heading for the door - he needed to shower and change before he could even contemplate facing the day, a lead weight in his stomach at the mere thought of it.

“I’ll be in my quarters if anyone needs me.”

“Yes, Commander.”

**

    The base was just coming to life around him, and he quickly slips into the back corridors, using the knowledge gained from his days in Blackwatch to make his way across the base as quickly as he can, anxious to avoid people at this time of morning and in his current dishevelled state. It’s at times like this that he almost wishes he’d taken the Strike Commanders quarters, his stomach twisting unpleasantly the moment that thought registers and he speeds up, trying to drag his thoughts away from that train of thought, but it’s taken root and his steps slow as he approaches his quarters. He was still in the same room he had when he was in Blackwatch, having refused – vehemently, to take Jack’s old quarters, and it was one of the few fights he’d managed to win with the brass.

    The room beyond is bare, lifeless and he avoids glancing at the one photo that graces the bedside table. He can’t handle that this morning, and instead, he heads straight for the shower, praying that it will clear his thoughts and the last traces of his hangover.

    The warm water pounding down on his shoulders is soothing, and he shudders out a sigh, leaning against the tiles and just letting it wash over him. He can feel the tension settling back into a background hum, but as it fades the thoughts seep back in and he wants to cry. It seems that no matter where he goes, or what he does, Jack is always right there. It doesn’t help that if he tilts his head a little bit, he can see the tiles they’d cracked during one particularly adventurous shower, and his hand curls into a fist at the memory - if only he hadn’t let their relationship fall apart. A pained groan slips free and he squeezes his eyes shut, but now that the image is in his mind he can’t get rid of it, and he can feel his eyes stinging as everything wells up once more.

“Damn it, Jack…”

_Why? Why can’t I forget…even for a minute?_

****

_Waking up wasn’t a pleasant business, and Jack had a feeling that he had been fighting his way back to consciousness for a while. He felt exhausted, and as more awareness seeped in so did the pain, and he found himself wishing for a way to slip under once more. Unfortunately, the SEP program had left them with a high tolerance for pain, and his body was determined to wake up regardless of what his mind wanted. And he swallowed back a groan as he finally let his eyes drift open, blinking as the world swam in and out of focus above him, his stomach churning at the sight of the unfamiliar ceiling. Where am I?_

_It took a worrying about of time to convince his body to listen to his commands and even longer to manage to manoeuvre himself onto the side, tasting copper on his lips as he bit down to swallow a cry as the movement ignited the pain in his body until it threatened to drown him._

_What the hell happened to me?_

****

     It’s midmorning and Gabriel is already ready to bang his head against the closest wall. First, there was the call from the UN Secretary-General wanting an update on all missions and trying to rope him into even more publicity events. He caves to a couple, having long since learned that it’s easier that way, but he manages to push the rest onto the other, and he knows that McCree and Ana are going to be less than happy with him when he finds out that he’s nominated them. That’s a problem for later though, because as soon as that call ends he has a meeting with the heads of the technology department who are demanding more funding, and then he has to face the pile of paperwork which is threatening to take over, and once again he finds himself wondering why on earth he had ever wanted this job. He’s a soldier, not a bureaucrat, and he feels it draining him signature by signature, and it’s almost a relief when Ana appears to check on him.

“You look worse for wear,” he comments when she slips inside, not mentioning the fact that she didn’t knock and ignoring the way her eyes immediately dart to the displays on the far side of the room before she turns to him with a familiar frown.

“And you don’t.”

“SEP,” he grunts, eyes darting down to the bin to reassure himself that he had remembered to empty it, looking up just in time to catch her knowing eyes. “Leave it Ana…please.” They both stiffen at the plea, unable to remember the last time he had spoken that softly, that desperately and her expression softens. Which in a way is even worse and he growls under his breath, hand tightening until his pen creaks and shatters under the force of his grip.

“The others were asking for you,” Ana murmurs softly, and he feels a stirring of guilt at that. It’s been a long time since he’s allowed himself to just spend time with the old crowd, nearly three years in fact because whenever he’s around them, he’s highly aware of who’s missing. And he can’t help but imagine that they feel the same, that there are silent accusations in their eyes when they look at him because they all knew what he and Jack were – something more than friends…and that he was the one that threw it away. “Gabriel…”

“I…” He trails off, eyes darting to the displays, Jack’s message replaying through his mind once more and he sighs as he shakes his head. “I can’t Ana, not until I find him.” It’s his answer to everything these days, and he can see that she wants to protest, that she wants to stop him, but then defeat washes over her face, and her shoulders slump.

“Just remember, we’re all still here and that we want to help you,” she murmurs instead, turning on her heel and heading for the door, anguish in her parting retort. “At some point, you’re going to have to let go of Jack, and accept what you still have.” The door clicks shut behind her, and he stares at it for a long moment, stomach churning as a small, rational part of him admits that she’s right. However, that part of him is ruthlessly suppressed like normal, although he can’t quite hide the desperation in his voice as he murmurs a reply even though there’s no one there to hear it.

“That’s not going to happen...” _I won’t let it happen…_

“Commander Reyes there is a call on your personal line.” Athena’s cool voice draws him back to the present and he frowns, there are very few people these days that have access to that line, and he hesitates for a moment as he reaches for the screen, hoping as always that he might see Jack’s name flashing up on the screen. Feeling the same crushing defeat when it isn’t, silently scolding himself for being an idiot, even as his stomach clenches as he realises that it’s Jack’s mother that is calling him. And for a moment he’s tempted to just ignore the call, but he doesn’t have the heart to ignore her, and he hastily turns his attention to the displays covering the far wall.

“Wipe the screens,” he ordered, waiting until the far wall had gone dark before accepting the call. Jack’s family knew the bare bones of what had happened and that he was still searching for their son, but he didn’t want them to see all the details or the failures, because he knew that right now he was their only hope that Jack might be found. “Mrs Morrison,” he greeted, voice soft when June Morrison’s face came into view on the holoprojector, his heart aching when her weathered features break into a smile at the sight of him.

_Please, don’t look at me like that…_

****

_He realises that he must’ve passed out again when he wakes to find himself no longer on the floor, his mind slightly less sluggish than before. Although he’s not sure, that’s an improvement when he takes in the fact that he’s now shackled against the wall, feet barely brushing the ground and he almost wishes that his thoughts were as hazy as before because now his mind is racing a mile a minute. His eyes darting around as he takes in his situation, stomach churning as he takes in the small cell and the fact that there is only one way in, and that it’s on the other side of the room as though to taunt him. Growling under his breath he tests his restraints, hissing as each movement sends fresh pain through him and he can’t help but think longingly of the biotic emitters that he usually carries._

****

“How is the farm doing?”  Gabriel asks, swallowing back his instinctive reaction to that smile. Although it doesn’t stop him from wondering how she can look at him like that after everything that had happened, aware that Jack had told her about their difficulties before he’d been taken. Yet whenever she calls him, it’s almost like they’re still stuck in the relationship they’d had when Jack had taken him home to meet them, and it’s hard to keep his expression even when the memory of that Christmas washes over him.

_“Are you sure about this?” He asks, hesitating for a moment as he stares up at the farmhouse that Jack has described to him so many times that he feels like he’s been here before. If he’s honest, he’s always longed to see the place painted in Jack’s soft, Midwestern accent - the place that makes those blue eyes light up. He just hadn’t imagined his first visit also being the first time that Jack was going to introduce him to his family, as his partner no less, and now that he’s here he’s panicking._

_“Of…” Jack doesn’t get a chance to finish reassuring him, because the front door slams open and a woman that can only be Jack’s mother comes bustling down the path, bright blue eyes fixed on the two of them and suddenly all Gabriel can think about is the fact that they’re stood there holding hands, and that’s not how he wants them to find out. But it’s too late to do anything, because suddenly she’s there and he blinks, hearing Jack’s warm chuckle from behind him as he finds himself being pulled into a tight hug that feels just like home, and he hopes that neither of them can see his eyes glistening when he hears Jack finish his reply. “Of course, I’m sure…”_  

    That Christmas had been one of the best ones he’s ever had, but it just makes the fact that she’s smiling at him right now, in just the same way more painful. He has to cough to clear the lump that has risen in the back of his throat, and even then, it takes him a couple of attempts to get his voice to work. “Is something wrong?”

 _“The farm is fine, thanks to you.”_ He shifts uneasily under the knowing look she’s sending him, and glances away awkwardly. Jack’s father had passed away a year after Jack had gone missing, and Gabriel had been terrified that the farm was going to go under with them both gone, and he couldn’t let that happen. He’d promised to bring Jack home, and that meant he had to preserve his home and so he’d been getting Athena to add funds from his own earnings to the pension that Overwatch paid the Morrisons for their son’s service. _“Did you think that I wouldn’t realise what you were doing Gabe?”_

“I…” His throat closes at the familiar nickname, but it’s one thing to worry Ana and the others and something completely different to see the concern dimming the blue eyes as Jack’s mother studies him, and he forces himself to offer a weak smile. “I just wanted to help.”

_“I know, it’s the only reason I haven’t mentioned it before, but Gabe…”_

“Please…” His voice tightens again, but he forces himself to continue, feeling a flicker of panic just at the very idea of not being able to help. Of losing this one thing that has been letting him feel as though he was helping, as though he was doing something.  “I…I want to do this.” _I need to do this…_ He can see it, just a flicker of pity in her eyes before she smiles, not the warm one that had greeted him years ago, but soft, broken by the loss but still willing to love him and it hurts, and yet there is relief that he’s not about to lose this part of Jack as well. “Thank you…”

 _“No, thank you,”_ She cuts him off, the pity gone, but the suspicious shimmer in her eyes is worse as are the words that follow. _“This farm is all I have left of them…”_ Gabriel knows just how that feels, his eyes flickering to the darkened screens at the far end of the room. All he has is his search, little crumbs of their friendship hidden away from prying eyes and the knowledge that Jack’s home and family are as safe as he can make them. _It’s not enough, for either of them…_ He can see it in her eyes, the darkness that seeps in behind the tears as her smile disappears altogether, and he knows what’s about to come, even before the words are spoken. _“Gabe…Has there…Is there any news?”_

     There it is - the question that he always dreads more than anything, especially when its spoken so softly, the hope within it barely audible after all this time. But she is the one person that he can never begrudge asking that question, especially when it’s only at this time of year, around the anniversary of Jack’s disappearance that she allows herself to give into the temptation of voicing it. The rest of the time she is quiet, trusting in his efforts, trusting that he will tell her if he finds anything. For a moment, he has to look away, hands clenching against his desk, wishing that he had something, anything that he could tell her to give her hope, to stop the spark from dying, because the thought of this woman giving up on Jack…Of leaving him alone in his hope that somewhere out there, Jack is still alive and waiting to be found, to be brought home terrifies him more than anything else ever has.

 _“It’s okay.”_ He must have hesitated for too long because she speaks again, tears on her cheeks this time and he opens his mouth needing to say something, but she held up a hand to stop him, her other hand swiping at the tears that have escaped. _“Thank you for being honest, and for not giving up on him/ I don’t know what I would do if you lost hope too.”_

     He isn’t given a chance to reply as the call cuts of abruptly and he stretches out a hand as though to call her back, but he falters, finger resting against the screen, and instead he closes his eyes, fingers curling as he leans back in his seat with a sigh.

“Athena, please bring up the screens.” He waits until he hears the familiar beep, slowly opening his eyes and fixing his stare on the map with fresh resolve.

_I’m going to bring him back to you…_

_Or at least give you closure…give us all closure…_

 


	3. Chapter 3

Aim. Fire. Reload.

Repeat.

    Gabriel has no idea how long he has been locked in the practice range. Long enough that his entire body was burning with exertion, his chest heaving as he sucked in air, but he didn’t let himself stop. Ignoring his screaming muscles, he rolled to the side, ducking behind a holographic wall and reloading as he listened to the training bots closing in on his position, trying desperately not to let himself think about how there should be another person beside him, their sides pressed together, movements perfectly in sync. It doesn’t work. Three years and he still finds his eyes darting to the space beside him, expecting to see blond hair and that ridiculous tuft, blue eyes focused but dancing with enjoyment from the fight, the easy smile switched for a determined grin. Three years and he still came up short when he found no one there, the pain that never faded springing to life once more and he growled, angry and hurting all at once, feeling as though he was teetering on the edge of shattering completely.

    It was only years of experience and the fact that Ana and Angela would both tear him a new one if got injured in training that allowed him to drag his focus back to the present. Just in time to detect movement in the periphery of his vision and he whirled, lifting both guns and firing almost without thought, only this time it wasn’t the training bots that he was seeing, but the nameless, featureless faces of those who had taken Jack from him.

   Everything was bubbling up now. The phone call with Jack’s mother a fortnight ago, the tears in her eyes as she had hung up on him. The nights in an empty bed, constantly waking and reaching out for someone that wasn’t there - the failed missions. It was all too much, and he couldn’t hold it back, the training bots just a convenient target for the outpouring of emotions.

“Where is he?! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH HIM?!!” He knew that he was shouting, but he could barely hear his own words over the roaring sound in his ears and the thunder of his shotguns. “WHERE IS HE?” He roared, firing and firing, not paying any mind to the sharp sting in his side as one of the training bots got in a lucky shot. Three years of frustration, of disappointment and grief. His eyes dart to his side again, to where Jack should have been, nose twitching as he sought out the smell of pulse ammunitions, eyes burning although he refused to let the tears fall, because Jack wasn’t there. “WHERE IS HE?”

    He was reloading, hands moving in practised movements even as his vision began to blur. It had been months since it had been this bad, months since everything had risen and overwhelmed him like this. He knew that he should stop, that this wasn’t helping anyone least of all Jack, but he needed to be doing something. Anything. Anything that would take his mind of the latest failure - another raid on another Talon base, a raid based on rumours that had reached them through Blackwatch, rumours about an important prisoner who had just been moved to the base. All they had found was an empty base rigged to blow, and he had nearly gotten himself and his team killed, and for what? Another failure that had nearly a dozen agents in the infirmary, and left him feeling as though he was coming apart at the seams.

“Simulation ended.” Athena’s even voice brought him up short as he swung his guns up in preparation to fire again, freezing as he found the lights on the bots in his sights shifting back to blue before they turned and trundled away. The holographic walls and streets fading away until he was stood in the middle of the empty expanse of the training room.

“Athena?”

“Boss?” He had to admire McCree’s composure, the younger Commander holding his ground even when Gabriel whirled towards the unexpected sound of his voice with his guns still raised, merely arching an eyebrow and waiting without comment until Gabriel slowly lowered the weapons with a grunted apology. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to disturb your practice,” McCree offered his own apology, but there was enough concern in the soft drawl to tell him that McCree had probably caught more than just the tail end of his breakdown, and he waited to be called on it. Instead, McCree remained silent, not commenting on what he had seen and once again Gabriel was grateful for his support, even if he wouldn’t say it aloud and he took a deep breath before holstering his weapons.

“I was nearly done.” It was a lie, and they both knew it. There had been too many days over the last three years where Gabriel had spent the entire day in here, refusing to leave, refusing to be the Strike Commander, and they both knew that if he hadn’t barged in it would have been one of those days and that it might still be one of those days. “What do you want?” He knew that McCree wouldn’t have interrupted him without reason, and that was the only reason he hadn’t ordered Athena to restart the simulation. For all that McCree worried about him just as much as Ana and the others, he seemed to be one of the few who realised that Gabriel needed to keep going, needed to keep looking just to be able to keep moving forward himself, and had chosen to support him quietly from behind. Maybe it was just because of their shared past in Blackwatch, or because Gabriel had been the one to offer him a chance and later pushed for his promotion. Gabriel didn’t really care about the reasons, too relieved to have someone on his side as the defeated attitudes around him were weighing on him more and more as time passed.

    McCree hesitated for a moment, nothing that most people would notice, but Gabriel wasn’t most people, and he caught the way tawny eyes were studying him, the hint of fear behind the concern and he wondered what he must look like right now. _A mess._  His eyes were still burning fiercely, his breathing slowly settling back to normal and he felt strung out and fragile, as though the slightest blow could topple him and he found himself struggling to hold McCree’s gaze. Finally, McCree sighed, clearly not happy with whatever he had seen, but willing to risk it anyway.

“I have some information.”

****

_He had been given a day of grace._

_Then had come the questions. Questions about Overwatch, about their agents and sources of information and resources, about Blackwatch, and about his ties with Gabriel. Demands for information that he knew could bring down both organisations if it ended up in the wrong hands, information that could threaten the peace they were working so hard to achieve. It made it easier to hold his silence. It was his job to lead, to protect, and at the moment the only thing he could do to fulfil his purpose was to hold his tongue. So he met their gazes evenly, and even when their efforts unsurprisingly turned to violence he refused to look away, refused to keep the grim smile off his lips as he watched their frustration increase, and their efforts intensified._

_He had been trained for this, had endured far worse pain during his time in SEP and yet at the same time this was worse…his already injured body struggling to endure this newest onslaught, and a small voice of doubt that he couldn’t quite quell that whispered that no one was coming. He ignored it as best he could, clinging to the fact that he knew that despite their recent tensions, Gabriel at least would never let this go - that he would come for him even if the rest of the world wrote him off. He just had to endure and buy them both time…_

_Buy himself time…_

_His vision was blurring, blood filling his mouth until all he could focus on was the coppery taste and still, they asked for answers. Demanded them, promising much worse if he didn’t cooperate and he bared his teeth in a bloody grin. He couldn’t stop the whimpers that slipped out, the shouts of pain when they landed a particularly painful blow, but not a single word left his lips._

****

     Gabriel sighed when Ana burst into his office without even knocking, scowling as she took in how he and McCree were bent over a projected map of Barcelona, the map already lit up with red markers from where they had been discussing potential drop zones and resources they had in the area. The moment McCree had said he’d had information, the storm of emotions that had been engulfing Gabriel had been forced back behind steel walls to be dealt with later, because he knew that the younger man refused to come to him with minor information. Which meant they were on to something, although whether it was the right thing…

“How many times are you going to do this?” Ana demanded as she marched across to them, slamming a hand down on his desk making the map waver for a minute, no trace of her usual calm to be seen as she stares at him before shifting her focus to McCree, glaring him into silence when he attempted to intervene. _Traitor,_ Gabriel can’t help but think when McCree shrinks in on himself, a distant part of him amused at the fact that Ana still holds so much power over the younger man, remembering the first time they had butted heads just after he had brought McCree into Blackwatch - McCree had avoided her for months afterwards. However, he doesn’t have a chance to be amused for long, because Ana’s attention switches back to him and while her glare isn’t as effective against him, her words cut deep. “You let yourself hope each time, and…” _It’s destroying you…_

    Gabriel couldn’t stop his gaze flicking to McCree, wondering if he was going to say anything about what had happened in the training range, but while he grimaced and shifted awkwardly, the other man didn’t speak up, and Gabriel sighed with relief before turning back to Ana. She was right, it was destroying him, even now with something to focus on he could still feel himself teetering on the edge, but, his gaze returned to the map.

“I’m going to do it as often as I have to.”

“Gabriel…”

“Ana, please,” it came out far more pleading than he’d wanted, but he couldn’t take it back. Out of everyone, her attitude hurt the worst because even though he could understand her reasoning, she had been there longer than the others. She had stood beside them both through rocky patches in their relationship, stood firm and encouraged them when one of them was in trouble. She had always been there, always neutral and it felt like another loss to see her standing there glaring at him, to hear her arguing against finding Jack and his expression hardened despite the ache their differences was causing. “If you’re not with me on this that’s fine, leave…but I could use your help.”

    Ana’s mouth had opened in protest at the first part, but she snapped it shut at the quiet plea for help. It had always been Jack who had voluntarily reached out for help in the past, Gabriel had been the one to struggle along until one of them had stepped in before he could get in too deep.

“What makes you think this time is any different?” She asked eventually, taking a step backwards and gesturing for McCree to join them before folding her arms. It was clear that she was far from happy, and even further from being convinced but Gabriel wasn’t going to squander the chance to get her onboard, and he nodded for McCree to show her what he had found, tensing when the younger man moved across, shrinking the map and bringing up the video footage Genji had sent them.

“There’s been a rise in Talon activity in the city lately, but there has been no sign of a base, so we’ve been looking for safe houses,” McCree explained, fingers hovering over the buttons for a moment. “Genji found this one a couple of days ago and has been monitoring it ever since, and he caught this on film in the early hours of this morning.” Ana nodded to show her understanding and McCree clicked play.

     The angle was strange, but if offered a clear view of the door tucked neatly between a house and a small restaurant. Compared to the buildings around it, the door was shabby but not to the point where it would draw undue attention, and as she studied it Ana had to admit that she wouldn’t have given it a second glance. At least not until she recognised the woman who had just stepped out of it, fingers twitching as though reaching for her gun.

“Amélie …”

“This is our fourth sighting of her in the open with Talon,” McCree murmured softly, fiddling with his sleeve as he felt the mood in the room plummet. It had been carefully hidden from the majority of their agents, and even more so from the public, but her murder and defection had sent shockwaves through those in the no, especially when she had killed an Overwatch team a few months ago. He was about to say something else when Ana stiffened because more agents had appeared, greeting Amélie and dragging someone between them and she found herself leaning forward as she spotted Gabriel’s tension increasing. From Genji’s position, it was hard to see anything, but it was obvious that it was a man and that he was shackled even though from the way he was being hauled along it was unlikely he was conscious. Then she saw it, her gaze darting across to the picture of Jack up on the wall of screens, before darting back to the video footage once more, or rather at the tiny tuft of blond hair standing up proudly at the back.

“Jack…” Ana whispered, remembering all the times she had cursed that little tuft of hair when she had been trying to help him make himself presentable for a public appearance, a noise that was half sob, half laugh escaping at the thought that such a silly thing was what let them recognise him now. And yet she couldn’t tear her gaze away from it, hope that she hadn’t felt for a long time stirring and she made no effort to hide the tears in her eyes when she finally lifted her eyes to meet Gabriel’s gaze, and he nodded, looking only marginally better.

“Jack.”

“It…” _It might not be him;_ the doubts were rushing in as the video ended. She had never met anyone else with that stubborn tuft of hair, but it wasn’t outside the realms of possibility that there was another person who shared that quirk - someone else that might have run afoul of Talon. Yet, this time she couldn’t bring herself to voice those thoughts, and she jumped when McCree coughed to get her attention.

“Then there was this.” He held something out to her, and she stared, recognising the distinctive blue lining of an Overwatch ID although this one was badly burned. Taking a step forward she was about to reach for it when she caught the name that was barely visible in the bottom corner and her breath caught, and she snatched her hand away as though burnt… _Jack Morrison._  

“Is that…?”

“We found it when we scoured that last base we raided,” McCree replied, trying not to look at Gabriel as he knew that raid had been part of the reason for today’s breakdown. “I’d say that he was kept there at some point, probably recently.”

“But why? They’ve kept him hidden all this time,” Ana frowned, gesturing at the screens filled with all the false leads and empty searches, before turning to stare at the badly damaged ID. It was too convenient, all these years of searching and suddenly they were finding evidence? She didn’t like it, and she was relieved to see that even Gabriel looked uneasy. “So why are they leaving us hints now.” Talon was many things, but they had proven to have some good strategists, keeping the combined forces of Blackwatch and Overwatch on their toes and running circles around them more often than they cared to admit.

“I don’t know,” Gabriel admitted with a sigh before he hit a button and brought the map up once more, staring at the marked location with dark eyes. “But I doubt that they chose Barcelona by accident either.”

“What do you mean?” McCree asked, glancing between them with confusion and Ana sighed, meeting Gabriel’s eyes and silently asking for permission when she realised that he wasn’t going to answer and knowing that she was one of the few who knew what had happened in Barcelona. A tiny nod was all that she got, and she could see him reaching for the chain around his neck, hastily diverting her gaze as she felt that she was intruding on something personal and instead focusing on McCree who was still waiting for a reply.

“Barcelona is where Jack proposed…”

    Gabriel had shut out her words, although he caught the quiet gasp that McCree couldn’t quite hold back and caught the startled glance, before he glanced down, fingers closing on the ring that hung beside his dog tags.

    _He had known that something was going on the moment that Jack had led them into their hotel room that evening, tired and grouchy after a long flight and with the prospect of meetings and playing nice with the bureaucrats hanging over him. It hadn’t taken him long to note the differences though - for one thing, they weren’t even keeping up the pretence of separate rooms which had always been a requirement for missions like this, his gaze lingering on the large bed, before shifting around the rest of the room. That was another thing, the room was nice, too nice…_

_“Jack? What’s going on?”_

_“There have to be some perks to this job,” Jack replied, looking a little taken aback by the edge in his voice, clearly trying to lighten the mood. It didn’t work. Gabriel scowled at him, silently demanding a proper answer. “Relax Gabe, we’ve been cleared for this.”_

_“Cleared for what?” What had Jack got them involved in now? The last time he had done something like this, they’d ended up stuck at a horrendous charity banquet, where Gabriel had very nearly caused a scene after the hostess hadn’t got the hint that Jack was very much off limits, and he really didn’t want to deal with that here. Apparently, Jack had realised that he wasn’t going to settle without a proper answer, moving past him and settling on the edge of the bed with a sigh._

_“It’s a holiday. No meetings, no missions or reports…just the two of us.”_

_“But…” He wasn’t really protesting, because that…the thought of just having Jack to himself, even though he doubted they would be allowed to stay away for long, sounded like heaven and he found himself moving towards Jack even as his partner continued with his explanation._

_“I just wanted to spend some time with you that didn’t involve work.”_

_Was he really apologising for surprising him with something like this? Of course, he was. Gabriel sighed, knowing that his reaction hadn’t help matters and he closed the rest of the distance between them, stepping in between Jack’s legs, gently nudging his knees apart to make room so that he could lean down and loop his arms around his neck. “Sorry,” he murmured, leaning in to steal a kiss, feeling Jack’s hesitation and pulling back. “I’m tired and grumpy Jack, but this…thank you.” There was nothing else he could think to say, but it seemed to be enough because Jack’s lips were curling up into a warm smile and this time when Gabriel leant in for a kiss, he responded eagerly, pulling the older man down into his lap with a laugh._

_*_

_They had spent most of the afternoon napping in bed, curled around each other and just talking about anything and everything in between. Away from work, away from their ranks and the differences that the job seemed to be breeding between them each day, it felt like they had just slipped back into how they had always been. It felt like coming home, and Gabriel had only been half-joking when he had suggested that they should just move here as they got ready to go out for dinner, glancing out the window at a city where Overwatch was known but not splashed all over every building, their faces a daily feature on the news… in other words, paradise._

_“It would be nice,” Jack murmured softly, following his gaze. “Maybe we can come here again.” He growled under his breath, frustrated as always with his tie and Gabriel chuckled as he moved to help him, wondering if he would ever learn to do them himself…probably not, because Jack looked a little too content to have his hands brushing against him._

_“Another holiday?”_

_“Maybe.” There was a flicker of something in the blue eyes, and Gabriel narrowed his eyes, studying him for a moment. There was something more to all of this. He had known that from the start, because if Jack had just wanted a holiday, they could have gone home to his farm, or to Gabriel’s family in L.A. although either way they would have been smothered with family. Jack caught his suspicious look and smiled at him, kissing him before pulling away and cursing at the time, and while he wasn’t fooled Gabriel allowed himself to be pulled along._

_**_

_His suspicions had only grown over dinner. At first, he had been appeased by the restaurant, a small, traditional one tucked away in a side-street, nothing fancy but with a welcoming atmosphere and décor that reminded him of the tiny Italian where he had taken Jack on their official date. The food was delicious, and he had been amused to see Jack eyeing up the trolley of desserts all through the meal, fully aware of his partner’s sweet-tooth and wondering if the waiter had known that when he’d sat them next to it._

_No, what had him waiting for the other shoe to drop was the fact that Jack was babbling. Normally their dinner chatter was light, both too used to focusing on eating after their time in the field where meals had to be scoffed when you had a chance, and that was a habit that had persisted even when they were on dates or at events. But tonight, Jack hadn’t stopped talking - about nothing either, and it was when he realised that Jack was repeated a story about Fareeha that he’d told him just moments before that he decided enough was enough._

_“All right Jackie,” he interjected, cutting Jack off mid-word and the blond blinked owlishly at him for a minute, clearly caught by surprise. “What is really going on?”_

_“I…” Jack sighed and glanced down, twisting his hands nervously together which did little to help with Gabriel’s concerns, although he was confident that Jack wasn’t the type to whisk someone away from holiday if he was going to break up with them or something. But still, something was going on, and as the silence stretched on he grew more nervous, and he was about to prompt Jack again when he took a shuddering breath before reaching for his pocket, and Gabriel caught the slight tremor in his fingers as he fumbled with it._

_Then it was his turn to need a deep breath as he stared at the black box clutched tightly in Jack’s hands, a roaring sound filling his ears. They had spoken about it, too many times to count, but there had always been reasons to wait. The Omnic crisis…the establishment of Overwatch…Jack’s Promotion…the development of Blackwatch and it had been months since they had last tentatively circled the issue, coming no closer to a decision than they had before. Clearly, Jack had been thinking about it and had made his decision._

_“Jack…”_

_“I don’t want to wait anymore.” It had been a long time since he’d heard Jack sound this fierce about anything, in fact, the last time had been when he had tried to argue that Gabriel should have been given the Strike Commander position. And he found himself unable to speak, or look away as Jack leant forward and grasped his hand, realising that they were both trembling a little as they twined their fingers together. “I know things have been difficult for both of us lately, but I don’t want that to let that change this, us. I won’t let it.” There was no mistaking the resolve in his voice or his gaze as he met Gabriel’s, how long had it been since Jack had looked at him like that like he was the only person in the world?_

_Gabriel couldn’t get his voice to work. A small part of him had been worried that things were getting to the point where the only outcome he could see was them drifting apart, something that terrified him more than he would ever admit. It didn’t matter how much they argued, or how deeply their words could cut at times, he still loved Jack with every fibre of his being and he knew that even if everything fell apart completely, that would never change. And maybe…maybe this would be the step they needed, to make them focus on them for once rather than work. Who was he kidding, there was only one answer he would have been able to give even if they had been at one another’s neck, and he managed to move his head in a tiny nod, the blinding smile that followed warming him and distracting him to the point where he nearly missed the quiet words that followed._

_“Gabriel Reyes, will you marry me?”_

“Gabriel? Gabriel!” He jolted as he came back to the present, blinking as he glanced down at the ring he was clutching and then slowly lifting his head to find Ana staring at him in concern, sorrow was written across her face. She had been the first person they had told when they had got back from Barcelona, and she had been there helping them make plans, back before the distance had seeped back in between them despite their best efforts. Although Gabe had never removed the ring, and then before they could fix things, Jack was gone, and he was left with nothing but the ring Jack had given him that day and memories of happier times.

“Sorry,” he muttered, slowly uncurling his fingers and tucking the chain back inside his shirt. Ana opened her mouth, no doubt to scold him for apologising unnecessarily, but there must be something in his expression because she stopped herself and glanced at McCree. “What?” How much had he missed while he was lost in his thoughts? He blinked when Ana smiled slightly, stepping forward and gesturing to the map which he was startled to see now bore more markers, sharp eyes swiftly identifying them as sniper points.

“I will help you, this time,” Ana murmured, knowing that there was no other choice now that she had some evidence in front of her, but even now she couldn’t help but sound a note of caution. “It might not have been Jack, but…”  

“If there’s chance…?” Gabriel finished for her, and she nodded with a tight smile, but there was something in her expression that had been missing over the last few months, and he felt something easing in his chest, the storm from earlier subsiding. He knew that if they failed this time, then they would be back to square one, but for now, at least she was back on his side. “Is Genji still maintaining surveillance?”

“Yes, I told him to avoid engaging them at all costs as we don’t want them moving the prisoner again.” McCree’s voice was tight, he had lost a good man in the last raid, for a prize that might have been snatched from right under their noses and it was clear that he wasn’t willing to risk that again. “I can have a team on the ground by…”

“No,” Gabriel cut across him, and McCree shared a startled look with Ana, both having expected him to leap into action with this information. Gabriel caught the glance and sighed, glancing across at the screens behind them, the failed missions - the casualties list and his expression darkened as he shook his head. “I’m not willing to risk an entire team again.” As much as he wanted to find Jack - needed to find him, he couldn’t forget that his search had cost them lives and put a number of agents out of commission, something that he knew Jack would be furious about.

“But…”

“I’m going,” Gabriel stated firmly, not caring that the UN would probably come down on him afterwards as they had been less than happy with his last foray into the field, not seeming to comprehend that he was still a soldier and not a bureaucrat like they wanted. “Genji is already on the ground and…”

“I’m coming,” Ana interrupted, although there was a shadowed look on her face and Gabriel knew that she was thinking about Fareeha, then her expression cleared, and she managed a tight smile. “Someone needs to watch your backs, and if Amélie is still there…”

“Fine.”

“So, a four-man team?” McCree asked with a sigh, although he snorted when Gabriel looked at him in surprise. “Do you really expect me to stay behind?”

“But…”

“If you think for a moment that I’m going to take your job if you get yourself killed…” McCree growled, and this time Gabriel was the one to snort, remembering the storm of protests that had met his suggestion that McCree take over Blackwatch. The younger man preferring to be in the field, and having an aversion to paperwork that put his own to shame, although the thought of the UN having to deal directly with McCree was an entertaining one.

“No one is going to be getting themselves killed,” Ana scolded, and McCree started at the stern tone before offering her a mock salute that did little to hide the fact that he had also taken a wary step backwards, although it didn’t stop him from retorting with a grin.

“Yes, mother.”

    Gabriel listened to them bickering, his gaze moving back to the map, to the bright red marker that showed their target and his hands curled into fists against the desk. Part of him was terrified. If they failed again - but that video, the ID card and the fact that Ana was at his side let him dare to hope that maybe this time he would find something.

That he might find Jack.

****

_Had he told them something?_

_He had no idea how long it had been since he had been taken. No idea how long he had been trapped in here, unable to do anything but endure as they tore his body apart in a search for answers to questions that he no longer understood. He didn’t think he had told them anything, couldn’t remember speaking, his voice little more than a rasp now after the screams they had torn from him, but then why weren’t they here? It had been a while, although he had no way to tell how much time had passed, he knew that it had been longer than usual, his body attempting to patch itself up now that it had been given a chance to rest._

_He had thought that the opportunity to heal and rest would give him some relief, the sharp pain slowly fading into a dull ache. Instead, he found himself more on edge, more aware of the fact that he was trapped and that he was helpless. More aware of the defeated voice at the back of his mind that had been growing stronger by the day, whispering that everyone had given up on him, forgotten him._

_That Gabriel had given up on him…_

 


End file.
